← 1 Oct Sunday 2 October 2016 · to 23:59 UTC 3 Oct →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
31,944 stories about harm· Trends· Every past day

We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.

How to read these numbers →

The day's news pointed at storm surge in Haiti, protests in Bishoftu (Ethiopia) and violence in el Mozote. el Salvador's coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's. Across the world, the tone of the words was about as usual.

Part of lifeConflict & violence 25 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostHaiti 96 in 100 of its 493 stories, usually 38
RegionLatin America & Caribbean 54 in 100 of its stories, usually 27
Tone of the words About as usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Disasters & accidents

Haiti

472 of its 493 stories (96%) were about people being harmed, usually 38%. Port-au-Prince accounted for 311 of Haiti's 472 stories about harm, carried by 304 outlets. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (11 stories). Storm surge was named in 394 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with heavy rain.

Haiti over 30 days → its stories → Port-au-Prince stories →
Protests & strikes

Ethiopia

621 of its 713 stories (87%) were about people being harmed, usually 41%. 308 of Bishoftu's 311 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people killed ran at about 4 times the usual rate (569 stories). Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Ethiopia over 30 days → its stories → Bishoftu stories →
Conflict & violence

El Salvador

66 of its 70 stories (94%) were about people being harmed, usually 38%. el Mozote accounted for 59 of el Salvador's 66 stories about harm, carried by 52 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about 5 times the usual rate (63 stories). Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

El Salvador over 30 days → its stories → El Mozote stories →
Deaths & injuries, cause not given

Spain

403 of its 967 stories (42%) were about people being harmed, usually 16%. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (365 stories). Gas explosion was named in 53 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

Spain over 30 days → its stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Conflict & violence

Colombia

653 of its 896 stories (73%) were about people being harmed, usually 49%. Reports of arrests ran at more than ten times the usual rate (172 stories). Heavy rain was named in 112 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Vietnam

121 of its 322 stories (38%) were about people being harmed, usually 19%. 34 of Ha Tinh's 36 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (59 stories). Plane crash was named in 13 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Mexico

220 of its 564 stories (39%) were about people being harmed, usually 27%. Reports of evacuations ran at about 4 times the usual rate (44 stories). Volcanic eruption was named in 44 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Philippines

620 of its 1,400 stories (44%) were about people being harmed, usually 39%. Reports of abductions ran at about three times the usual rate (86 stories). Plague was named in 12 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Cuba

173 of its 244 stories (71%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (30 stories). Storm surge was named in 31 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Portugal

99 of its 186 stories (53%) were about people being harmed, usually 11%. Reports of people affected ran at more than ten times the usual rate (57 stories). Hypothermia was named in 90 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: hypothermia in Portugal (90 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); typhoon in North Korea (56 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); tuberculosis in Brazil (60 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); outbreaks in Thailand (32 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); volcanic eruption in Mexico (44 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

23 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 22; 22 the day before
27 in 10019 in 1003 Sep10 Sep17 Sep24 Sep2 Oct3 Sep: 24 in 1004 Sep: 24 in 1005 Sep: 22 in 1006 Sep: 20 in 1007 Sep: 20 in 1008 Sep: 19 in 1009 Sep: 20 in 10010 Sep: 23 in 10011 Sep: 25 in 10012 Sep: 22 in 10013 Sep: 20 in 10014 Sep: 20 in 10015 Sep: 21 in 10016 Sep: 20 in 10017 Sep: 22 in 10018 Sep: 27 in 10019 Sep: 24 in 10020 Sep: 23 in 10021 Sep: 22 in 10022 Sep: 22 in 10023 Sep: 21 in 10024 Sep: 23 in 10025 Sep: 23 in 10026 Sep: 20 in 10027 Sep: 21 in 10028 Sep: 21 in 10029 Sep: 22 in 10030 Sep: 21 in 1001 Oct: 22 in 1002 Oct: 23 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 2 Oct. The big dot is this day; the shaded band is a normal day (the 30 days before it). Click a day to open it. Based on 31,944 stories about harm among 140,375 counted on 2 Oct.

Read the day's briefing

Haiti's news was 96% about people being harmed, against a usual 38%. of the day's 140,375 news stories, 23 in every 100 were about people being harmed, as usual. This week the news turned most often to el Salvador, on 3 of 7 days; help rose on 1 of them.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Haiti96 in 100 of its 493 stories · usually 38 · mostly disasters & accidents El Salvador94 in 100 of its 70 stories · usually 38 · mostly conflict & violence Ethiopia87 in 100 of its 713 stories · usually 41 · mostly conflict & violence Somalia84 in 100 of its 245 stories · usually 63 · mostly conflict & violence Yemen79 in 100 of its 220 stories · usually 75 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Bishoftu Ethiopia308 stories about protests or strikes, of its 311 Aleppo Syria228 stories about protests or strikes, of its 858 Oromo Ethiopia188 stories about protests or strikes, of its 188 Port-au-Prince Haiti155 stories about protests or strikes, of its 311 Los Angeles US140 stories about protests or strikes, of its 279

Stories, not people.

Where the news was warmest

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zimbabwe: about as warm as its own usual or lessYemen: about as warm as its own usual or lessVietnam: about as warm as its own usual or lessVenezuela: about as warm as its own usual or lessVanuatu: too little coverage to readUzbekistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessUruguay: about as warm as its own usual or lessMicronesia: too little coverage to readU.S. Virgin Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuam: about as warm as its own usual or lessPuerto Rico: about as warm as its own usual or lessUnited States: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth Georgia & South Sandwich Islands: too little coverage to readFalkland Islands: too little coverage to readCayman Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessIsle of Man: too little coverage to readUnited Kingdom: about as warm as its own usual or lessUnited Arab Emirates: about as warm as its own usual or lessUkraine: about as warm as its own usual or lessUganda: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurkmenistan: too little coverage to readTurkey: about as warm as its own usual or lessTunisia: about as warm as its own usual or lessTrinidad & Tobago: about as warm as its own usual or lessTonga: about as warm as its own usual or lessTogo: about as warm as its own usual or lessTimor-Leste: too little coverage to readThailand: about as warm as its own usual or lessTanzania: about as warm as its own usual or lessTajikistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessTaiwan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSyria: about as warm as its own usual or lessSwitzerland: about as warm as its own usual or lessEswatini: about as warm as its own usual or lessSuriname: too little coverage to readSouth Sudan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSudan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSri Lanka: about as warm as its own usual or lessSpain: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth Korea: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth Africa: about as warm as its own usual or lessSomaliland: too little coverage to readSolomon Islands: too little coverage to readSlovakia: too little coverage to readSlovenia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSingapore: too little coverage to readSierra Leone: about as warm as its own usual or lessSeychelles: about as warm as its own usual or lessSerbia: too little coverage to readSenegal: about as warm as its own usual or lessSaudi Arabia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSão Tomé: too little coverage to readSamoa: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt Vincent: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt. Lucia: about as warm as its own usual or lessRwanda: about as warm as its own usual or lessRussia: about as warm as its own usual or lessRomania: about as warm as its own usual or lessQatar: about as warm as its own usual or lessPortugal: too little coverage to readPoland: about as warm as its own usual or lessPhilippines: about as warm as its own usual or lessPeru: about as warm as its own usual or lessParaguay: too little coverage to readPapua New Guinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessPanama: about as warm as its own usual or lessPalau: too little coverage to readPakistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessOman: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorway: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorth Korea: too little coverage to readNigeria: about as warm as its own usual or lessNicaragua: about as warm as its own usual or lessNew Zealand: about as warm as its own usual or lessNiue: too little coverage to readNetherlands: too little coverage to readCuraçao: too little coverage to readNamibia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMozambique: about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara: too little coverage to readMontenegro: about as warm as its own usual or lessMongolia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMoldova: about as warm as its own usual or lessMexico: about as warm as its own usual or lessMauritius: too little coverage to readMauritania: about as warm as its own usual or lessMalta: about as warm as its own usual or lessMali: about as warm as its own usual or lessMalawi: too little coverage to readMadagascar: too little coverage to readNorth Macedonia: too little coverage to readLuxembourg: about as warm as its own usual or lessLithuania: too little coverage to readLibya: about as warm as its own usual or lessLiberia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLesotho: about as warm as its own usual or lessLatvia: too little coverage to readLaos: about as warm as its own usual or lessKyrgyzstan: about as warm as its own usual or lessKuwait: about as warm as its own usual or lessKosovo: too little coverage to readKiribati: too little coverage to readKenya: about as warm as its own usual or lessKazakhstan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJordan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJapan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJamaica: too little coverage to readItaly: too little coverage to readIsrael: about as warm as its own usual or lessPalestine: about as warm as its own usual or lessIreland: about as warm as its own usual or lessIran: about as warm as its own usual or lessIndonesia: about as warm as its own usual or lessIndia: about as warm as its own usual or lessIceland: about as warm as its own usual or lessHungary: about as warm as its own usual or lessHonduras: about as warm as its own usual or lessHaiti: too little coverage to readGuyana: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuinea-Bissau: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuatemala: about as warm as its own usual or lessGrenada: about as warm as its own usual or lessGreece: too little coverage to readGhana: about as warm as its own usual or lessGeorgia: about as warm as its own usual or lessGambia: about as warm as its own usual or lessGabon: about as warm as its own usual or lessFrance: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt Pierre & Miquelon: too little coverage to readFrench Polynesia: too little coverage to readNew Caledonia: too little coverage to readFrench Southern Territories: too little coverage to readÅland Islands: too little coverage to readFinland: about as warm as its own usual or lessFiji: about as warm as its own usual or lessEstonia: about as warm as its own usual or lessEritrea: about as warm as its own usual or lessEquatorial Guinea: too little coverage to readEl Salvador: about as warm as its own usual or lessEgypt: about as warm as its own usual or lessEcuador: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominican Republic: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominica: about as warm as its own usual or lessDjibouti: about as warm as its own usual or lessGreenland: about as warm as its own usual or lessFaroe Islands: too little coverage to readDenmark: too little coverage to readCzech Republic: too little coverage to readN. Cyprus: too little coverage to readCyprus: too little coverage to readCuba: too little coverage to readCroatia: about as warm as its own usual or lessCôte d'Ivoire: too little coverage to readCosta Rica: about as warm as its own usual or lessDR Congo: too little coverage to readCongo: about as warm as its own usual or lessComoros: about as warm as its own usual or lessColombia: about as warm as its own usual or lessChina: about as warm as its own usual or lessHong Kong: about as warm as its own usual or lessChile: about as warm as its own usual or lessChad: about as warm as its own usual or lessCentral African Republic: about as warm as its own usual or lessCape Verde: too little coverage to readCanada: about as warm as its own usual or lessCameroon: about as warm as its own usual or lessCambodia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMyanmar: about as warm as its own usual or lessBurundi: about as warm as its own usual or lessBurkina Faso: too little coverage to readBrunei: about as warm as its own usual or lessBrazil: about as warm as its own usual or lessBotswana: too little coverage to readBosnia and Herzegovina: about as warm as its own usual or lessBolivia: about as warm as its own usual or lessBhutan: about as warm as its own usual or lessBenin: too little coverage to readBelize: too little coverage to readBelgium: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelarus: about as warm as its own usual or lessBarbados: about as warm as its own usual or lessBangladesh: about as warm as its own usual or lessBahrain: about as warm as its own usual or lessBahamas: too little coverage to readAustria: about as warm as its own usual or lessAustralia: about as warm as its own usual or lessHeard & McDonald Islands: too little coverage to readArmenia: too little coverage to readArgentina: too little coverage to readAntigua & Barbuda: too little coverage to readAngola: about as warm as its own usual or lessAndorra: too little coverage to readAlgeria: about as warm as its own usual or lessAlbania: too little coverage to readAfghanistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJammu & Kashmir: about as warm as its own usual or lessAksai Chin: about as warm as its own usual or lessGaza: about as warm as its own usual or lessWest Bank: about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara (Moroccan-controlled): too little coverage to readWestern Sahara (Free Zone): too little coverage to readAzad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSiachen Glacier: about as warm as its own usual or lessCrimea: about as warm as its own usual or lessEast Jerusalem: about as warm as its own usual or lessAzad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessVatican City: too little coverage to readMarshall Islands: too little coverage to readNorthern Mariana Islands: too little coverage to readAmerican Samoa: about as warm as its own usual or lessChagos Islands: too little coverage to readSt. Helena: about as warm as its own usual or lessPitcairn: too little coverage to readAnguilla: too little coverage to readBermuda: about as warm as its own usual or lessBritish Virgin Islands: too little coverage to readTurks & Caicos Islands: too little coverage to readMontserrat: too little coverage to readJersey: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuernsey: too little coverage to readSan Marino: too little coverage to readSt Kitts & Nevis: too little coverage to readCook Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessAruba: about as warm as its own usual or lessNauru: about as warm as its own usual or lessMonaco: about as warm as its own usual or lessMaldives: too little coverage to readLiechtenstein: too little coverage to readWallis & Futuna: too little coverage to readSt. Martin: too little coverage to readSt. Barthélemy: too little coverage to readMacao: too little coverage to readNorfolk Island: too little coverage to readSint Maarten: too little coverage to readChristmas Island: too little coverage to readGibraltar: about as warm as its own usual or lessMayotte: too little coverage to readZambia: warmth about its own usualSweden: warmth about its own usualSomalia: warmth about its own usualNiger: warmth about its own usualNepal: warmth about its own usualMorocco: warmth about its own usualMalaysia: warmth about one and a half times its own usualLebanon: warmth about its own usualIraq: warmth about its own usualGuinea: warmth about its own usualGermany: warmth about its own usualEthiopia: warmth about its own usualBulgaria: warmth about its own usualAzerbaijan: warmth about twice its own usualBaku, Azerbaijan -- rights & justice: 262 stories, carried by 309 outletsOmaha, US -- health: 13 stories, carried by 12 outletsWhite Plains, US -- rights & justice: 167 stories, carried by 145 outletsCartagena, Colombia -- conflict & violence: 17 stories, carried by 13 outletsPrince William, Canada -- health: 14 stories, carried by 16 outletsTbilisi, Georgia -- conflict & violence: 27 stories, carried by 41 outletsEdinburgh, UK -- health: 34 stories, carried by 79 outletsHiranagar, India -- conflict & violence: 11 stories, carried by 10 outlets
Warmer than its own usual The warmest eventsAbout as warm or lessToo little news

Each country shaded by the warmth in its news — care, help, gratitude — against its own last 30 days. Stronger colour: further above. Dots: the events whose coverage carried the most warmth, even where the event itself began as harm. Warm words, not good outcomes. Click a country or a dot.

Warmest news

● Azerbaijan warmth about twice usual ● Malaysia warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Baku Azerbaijan about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 262 stories ● Omaha US about twice as warm as the day's news · health · 13 stories ● White Plains US about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 167 stories ● Cartagena Colombia about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 17 stories ● Prince William Canada about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 14 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Conflict & violence25% 7,937 stories · about as usual Rights & justice25% 7,767 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents18% 5,581 stories · more than usual (usually 14%) Health16% 5,128 stories · less than usual (usually 20%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given8% 2,366 stories · about as usual Shelter & services4% 1,108 stories · about as usual Displacement3% 1,060 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 521 stories · about as usual

Of the stories about people being harmed, what part of life each was about. The mark is usual.

Harm reported 30 days →

Stories reporting people killed9,993 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected3,643 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured3,442 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests2,972 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees926 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions676 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Indonesia and Nigeria Stories reporting people displaced525 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Colombia and the US Stories reporting evacuations356 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill31 at about a third of the usual rate · most about the US and Australia

Stories that report it, not people: we count what reporters wrote, not what happened.

How it felt 30 days →

harshwarm

The words in the day's stories were about as usual. Filled dot: today. Ring: usual.

● Angerabout as usual
● Warmthabout as usual
● Griefabout as usual
● Fearabout as usual

From the words reporters used across the whole day, never one story. Fear is the weakest of the four measures. How?

The weekly briefing · 19 Oct – 25 Oct

The week in human impact

Read the week →

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How to read these numbers →

These are counts of stories, not counts of suffering. Most of what happens to people is never reported at all.